fools

This.

what you're seeing is me...

illusions

independent will

 

- Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre

When Love Arrives

baby brother

This child is basically the most consistently wonderful thing about my existence.
He is the very sweetest gift God could have blessed my life with.
When ever I need it, I know I can go to him for a hug and a kiss 'to make it better'.
At least once a day we go through the ritual of taking turns whispering to each other:

"guess what." "what?" "I love you." "thanks. guess what." "what?" "I love you."

For the past couple weeks I have been his most requested bedtime buddy. As such my official job is to read and cuddle him until the lights turn off. Then we lay there in the darkness with his arm wrapped around my neck as I coo any and all lullabies of his request(usually something to the effect of the entire soundtrack of the Wizard of Oz...) until his tired hand is weighted with slumber and I can slip out from under it, leaving a quick goodnight kiss on the chubby little digits.

Tonight during bedtime stories(You are Special - Max Lucado) he announced with confidence: "God made my nose", with a giggle. This lead to pointing to various body parts that God had made and listing reasons why they were important, and why God thought we should have them.

"God made my belly!"
"Why would he make that?"
"I don't know Didi, you say."

His smile and insightful baby questions are a delight and a constant challenge. His intelligence and wisdom are often startling.
There I moments when I have to stop and catch my breath when he surprises me with a new glimpse of the real little person he is growing into each day.

The smallest repetitive nonsense will leave him breathless with uncontrollable giggles, which can leave the entire family crippled by the infectious-ness of laughter.
There is something so wonderful about the unbridled excitement of a three-year-old experiencing the world with wide eyed joy.

Whether it is our nightly dinning room production of the Wizard of Oz(which can have a cast ranging between 2-6 performers, depending on how willing the parents and other doting siblings will allow themselves to be), or the acrobatics of the simultaneous dinner and story time/sneak food attack system we have created to shovel food into this child, I cannot help but be entertained by the silliness and love that this family has surrounded our baby with.

I know with confidence that I'll always have a singing buddy/avid couch side audience member. Whenever I hum or sing a phase from a tune he hasn't heard yet the question that sometimes requires a trip across the house, but is always asked is: 'how you sing that song'.

This child also provides me with all of the excuses to watch movies musicals that I could ever want. 

The responsibility of being the one he most consistently comes running to when things are 'not fair' or when there is an ouchy that needs kissing or there is something exciting that needs showing, can be a heavy one, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. All the silly kisses, and kitty licks, and toothy smiles are so worth it.

my own personal struggle

Autumn Sounds

"The earth has music for those who listen."
— William Shakespeare

Joy

 “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”
― E.E. Cummings

Buckets full of water are a child's best friend when the days get too hot!

Thanksgiving

Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.

Henry Van Dyke

 

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Canadian Thanksgiving weekend!

Adventurers

 Blessed be childhood, which brings down something of heaven into the midst of our rough earthliness.
Henri Frederic Amiel

Austrian Memories

 

 You brought music back into the house. I had forgotten. 

-Captain von Trapp, The Sound of Music

 

Here are some more images from my Austrian adventure! Now that I am sitting in the utter silence of my bed room, I can't help thinking of the flurry of excitement that started off my Summer!
This was the house used in the the iconic film The Sound of Music. There were scenes filmed in front of the building, as well as on the lake. The insides scenes were shot at a different location(one of the many magic tricks of film). The building is now a part of a university. How wonderful it would be to be able to study in such a location surround by so much beauty!

When You Grow Up

gentle whisper

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.


Matthew 10:29-31 

The last sentence of this passage never fails to make me smile. Its like a gentle whisper full of love that God has given to us. I can feel the smile on His face when I read these words.